Debate emerges over middleweight title picture with Imavov awaiting shot

Questions are swirling around the middleweight title picture as Nassourdine Imavov continues to wait for a championship opportunity, with debate growing over who deserves the next shot at the division's top prize.

Imavov, ranked number one in the middleweight division, carries a 17-4 record and has built a reputation as one of the most dangerous strikers in the weight class. The 30-year-old Frenchman out of MMA Factory stands six-foot-three with a 75-inch reach, lands 4.28 significant strikes per minute at a 54 percent accuracy rate, and also threatens with one submission attempt per 15 minutes. Despite his contender status, he has reportedly already been bypassed once when a title shot seemed imminent.

Sean Strickland is the reigning middleweight champion. "Tarzan" holds a 31-7 record and fights out of Xtreme Couture at 35 years old. The six-foot-one American is one of the most prolific volume strikers in the sport, pouring out 6.04 significant strikes per minute, though his 42 percent accuracy reflects his constant output rather than any lack of danger.

Also looming over the division is Khamzat Chimaev, who sits ranked number one and tenth pound-for-pound with a 15-1 record. The 30-year-old Chimaev, representing the United Arab Emirates and training out of Allstars Training Center, is a legitimate two-way threat — landing 60 percent of his significant strikes while averaging a remarkable 5.29 takedowns per 15 minutes.

Why it matters

• Imavov's continued wait raises questions about how the UFC orders its contender queue at 185 pounds
• A Strickland-Imavov rematch would serve as a logical title eliminator and resolve the ranking ambiguity
• Chimaev's simultaneous presence at the top of the rankings complicates any clean path to a title fight
• The outcome of any eliminator bout could reshape one of the UFC's most competitive divisions